Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has highlighted how Martin Schulz "has been attacking Hungary for years" for defending its borders and refusing to accept migrants.
Several Jewish leaders have slammed László Bíró, a joint candidate of the opposition, for his anti-Semitic and racist statements.
Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said the Jewish community is safe in Hungary.
The federation of Hungarian Jewish communities (Mazsihisz) and Budapest’s Jewish community BZSH have decided to close down synagogues in the capital for two weeks due to a positive coronavirus case.
Balázs Hidvéghi said although anti-Semitism in Europe’s western countries is growing, Jews in Hungary live in safety.
The government’s measures over the past nine years helped create a milieu in which there is an “unprecedented blossoming of Jewish culture … and security”.
“As in the previous years, I wish you this time again that the light of the Hanukkah candles remind you of the eternal power that holds a community together,” the prime minister said.
“The tragedy of our Jewish compatriots is our tragedy,” said Péter Niedermüller, mayor of Budapest’s 7th district.
The Hungarian government has signed an agreement with the Unified Hungarian Jewish Congregation (EMIH) to acknowledge the historical traditions of the Jewish community and “EMIH’s service to the renaissance of Hungary’s Jewish community”.
PM Orbán said he was “happy to see the largest Jewish community in central Europe living … in peace and security and even organizing cultural and sporting events that draw their brethren from other parts of the world.”
“We are proud of our past and traditions, and think that in Hungary the Jewish community not only has a past but a present and a future, too,” said Slomó Köves following the inauguration of two new synagogues - one in Budapest's 13th district and in Szentendre, north of the capital.
Yes, European anti-Semitism is on the rise and it’s cause for concern. But why drag Hungary, one of the few countries where anti-Semitism is in decline, into the discussion?
Writer Adam LeBor has penned a compelling piece for The Financial Times where he highlights how Jewish life in Hungary is enjoying a revival, where it’s extremely safe and secure